7 years ago.

7 years ago, i first stepped foot on the newly-opened Orange Juice store.

It was just perfect, with its tagline "Too young to be old, too old to be young."

It was just what i was looking for. At 11, i had a hard time buying clothes that would fit just right.

Anyhow...

By now you'd think i no longer buy clothes at that store. Well, not as much as i used to before. But yes, i still do. At age 18.

Well, i insist on trying on their clothes. They're just so colorful! But you know, more than that, Orange Juice has a place in my heart. It reminds me a lot of how much of a "daddy's little girl" i was back then. actually, just last year i bought a tee there with that exact line.

I still am his little girl. And i'll always be. After his meeting at las piñas, he drove amidst the traffic to fetch me at glorietta. his first question to me when he saw me was, "how many months have you starved?" hahaha. daddy talaga. he was referring to shopping. i told him, "well, about two months." little things. i love my dad. :) not because he funds my addiction to shopping, mind you. more than that, i know my dad and i share a lot of things in common. and each day, i feel how much he loves me. how much he loves us.

Just a few hours ago, i stepped in the very Orange Juice store i first stepped foot on- the one at Glorietta. There were two or three girls shopping there with their moms. And at that moment, scenes from my visits there when i was about their age came to mind.

I remember entering the store with a huge smile (it was my favorite back then). My mom would go with me inside and help me pick clothes. I would then try each one then go out of the dressing room and "model" each outfit to my dad. He would then either give me a wide smile and tell me it looks good on me, or shake his head and ask me to try something else. Then i'd finally settle for one, two, or three pieces and would walk out happily, with a bigger smile on my face.

I remember when the Orange Juice branch in Alabang Town Center opened. I was one of the first to enter. :D During those times, we usually go to ATC religiously on saturdays. dad would drop us off, my brother would make a beeline for Timezone, and i'd hit the shops with my mom. then dad would join us for lunch, leave us again for a meeting, then join us for dinner.

I miss those days. I miss the times when our family had more time for each other. don't get me wrong. we still do bond. sunday is still (semi-)strictly a family day. but you see, i'm now older. it has been 7 years. my brother's now older as well. he's more interested with his girl friend now than he ever was with an arcade game. i now have a second brother.

7 years.

a lot has changed. but i'm thankful that our family is still going strong. :)

+++++

(and yes, all these just because i entered that Orange Juice store. memories. yeah.)